Sewing apparatus



Sept. 11, 1934. c. H. BYNUM SEWING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1933 Sept. 11, 1934. c. H. BYNUM' SEWING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zia/anion 15. Byruum Filed Feb. 17, 1935 Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sewing apparatus and more particularly to improvements in apparatus used for holding work to be quilted, mended, or embroidered.

The main objects of the inventionare to provide a work support which may be moved about in a horizontal plane with the utmost ease, so that any pattern may readily be followed; to provide a work support which is adjustable to permit the work to be stretched and held in the desired degree of tautness; to provide a work support which is readily adjustable as to length; to provide a work support which will normally be maintained in a substantially horizontal plane and which may be shifted about laterally within reasonable limits without tilting the support out of a horizontal plane; to provide an arrangement for portably supporting the work holder or frame to facilitate its movement as the work progresses; to provide means for preventing unde-. sir-able rearward movement of the frame; and in general, it is the object of the invention to provide an improved work holder or frame of the type referred to.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (2 sheets), wherein there is illustrated a sewing apparatus embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a plan;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of a portion of the work holder or frame showing the parts as they appear at the beginning-of a sewing operation; y

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the same parts as they appear at the completion of the sewing operation; V

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the left-hand side of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5 but on an enlarged scale; H a r Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the parts illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the left-hand end of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1; and t Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-l0 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus herein disclosed includes agenerally rectangular frame structure comprising end members 10, 10 and a plurality of members 11, 12 and 13 respectively which are rotatably mounted at their opposite ends in the said end members. This frameis suspended by means of straps, such as indicated at 14, and trolley devices 15 and 16 over a trolley wire or track 17 which is suitably supported at its ends.

While the frame structure above described may be used independently of a sewing machine, it is particularly adapted formachine quilting, embroidering jand mending, and hence it is illustrated in association with a sewing machine 18 which may-be any suitable power-driven type of, machine. j i

One of the more co mmon uses of the apparatus is for quilting. When the apparatus is so used, the upper and lower fabrics 19' and 20 re spectively are initially rolled on the rods 12 and 13 respectively and their outer ends connected to the rod 11 (see Figs. 3 and 4). The padding material 21 may then conveniently be spread on the lower fabric member 20, as indicated in Fig. 3, so that in the space between the rods 11 and 12, the fabricmembers l9 and 20 inclose a layer of padding material and the parts are in proper relation for the quilting operation. The operator may occupy any desirable or convenient position, preferably adjacent the sewing machine so that its operation may be observed, and the frame is moved horizontally in accordance with any desired design to cause the sewing machine to quilt the work. i

It will be evident that a work holder such as above described should be freely movable in a horizontal plane so that any desired pattern may be followed and that for different classes of work, the frame should be adjustable to different lengths. To thatend, the following features of construction have been designed and incorporated in the apparatus:

The parts 11 and 13 are rotatably mounted at their ends in the end members 10 through the agency of end pieces 22, such as best illustrated in Fig. 10. The said end pieces each include a short shaft portion 23, a socket portion 24, and a gear or ratchet portion 25, all of said portions being preferably formed integrally, for example, in the form of a casting. The end members liyare suitably apertured to rotatably receive the shaft portion 23 and the latter is threaded-as indicated, to receive a correspondinglyapertured andtapped collar such as 26. Theicollar 26 may beadjustedto the desired position alongthe shaft portion 23 to limit or prevent endwise play of the part in the end member 10, and the collar may be locked in the desired position of adjustment by means of a set-screw such as indicated at 27. The bars 11 and 13 are preferably of square cross section and each socket portion 24 is adapted to receive an end portion of the square rod. Hence, it will be apparent that the bar or rod cannot turn in the end piece 22 and that the rod and end piece will rotate as a unit in the bearing provided in the end member 10. .It will also bee'vident that when longer or shorter rods 11, 12 and 13 are desired, the rods then in place may .be readily.

removed by merely withdrawing the same from the respective sockets and substituting shorter or longer rods as desired. 'Ihumb-screws such as indicated at 28 may be provided for preventing accidental separation of the respective' rodsand sockets.

The intermediate rod or bar 12 is rotatably mounted at its ends in the frame end members 10 through the agency of similar end pieces designated 29, but the socket portions'of the end pieces 29 are open at one'side; as indicated at 30 in Fig. 5, to permit remov'al-offthebar 12 without separating the bars 11 and 13' from their respective sockets.

For locking the bars 11, 12 and 13 'agai'nst ro tation and for holding the fabric elements carried thereby in the desired degree of 'tautness, pawls such as indicated at 31 m pivoted on the respective end members in operative relation to the respective ratchets or gears 25. The pawls 31 may be spring-urged into operative relation with the respective ratchets so as to permit rotation thereof in one directionand so as to lock the same againstrotation in the opposite direction, but they are pi'eferablyin theform of gravity-actuated pawls "having weighted overbalancing endsas illustrated.

The supporting straps or cables 14 are connected at their lower ends to the end members of the frame through 'theagencyof universal joints, which in this instance are in the -form of ball and socket connections. The socket element is'designated 32 and is suitably secured to the frameend member as shown inFigs. 1, 5 and 9. The ball element is designated .33 and is provided with an eye-part 34 for facilitating connection thereto of the'strap 14. 1 The upper end of the strap 14 is connected by means of a similar ball and socket connection to the trolley member 15.

Each trolley member 15 includes a wheel 35 which is rotatably mounted in the arms 36, 36 of the trolley bracket '37. "The bracket member 37 includes a cylindrical portion 38 which is adapted to receive a spacing bar 39. 'A's'is clearly evident from inspection of Fig. 2, the spacing bar 39 serves to maintainthe respective trolley members in the desired spacedrelation and a set-screw such as indicated at 40 may be'provided for maintaining the trolleys 15in adjusted position relative to the bar 39. Formed integrally with the cylindrical portions 38 of the trolley brackets are socket elements 41 adapted to receive the ballelements 42 of the upper strap connections. The ballelements 42 are provided with eye parts 43 for facilitating connection with the upper strapend to the said'ballparts.

To facilitate adjustment of the he'ight of the frame relative to the table-portibn' of the sewing machine, the straps 14fare provided 'with any suitable buckle arrangement indicated at 44 so that the effective lengthof the straps may'be adjusted.

As' illustrated, thestraps 14 are connected to member.

the respective frame ends at points substantially midway of the width of the frame. By reason of the described ball and socket connections and intermediate support, the frame may be shifted horizontally with a minimum of effort and without noticeably twisting or otherwise distorting the suspending straps.

To normally maintain the frame in horizontal position, the structure is provided at one end only, preferably its rear end, with yielding braces 45, 45. As best shown in Fig. 5, these braces include long coiled springs 46 which are connected at their lower ends to the rear end member 10 1 at points spaced materially away from the ball and socket connection of the strap 14 to the end The springs 46 extend upwardly and inwardly toward the trolley member 15 and are suitably connected thereto. In this instance, the springs 46 are connected to the trolley 15 through the agency of turn-buckles 4'7 and links 48 which may conveniently be hooked through apertures in the set-screws 40 or over other suitable lugs provided on the trolley bracket. When the frame is shifted horizontally away from its normal centralized position, one of the springs may yield sufficiently, while the other contracts, to permit the frame to remain in horizontal position. When the frame is in its freely suspended, centralised position, it may be ad justed to horizontal position by appropriately adjusting the turn-buckles 47, 47.

When the frame is used for mending or other sewing within a small area, the only frame movement necessary is that permitted by the supporting straps 14 and their respective ball and socket connections. "However, for quilting and other similar processes, it is desirable, if not necessary, that the frame be bodily movable lengthwise so as to permit the full length of a quilt or the like to be worked on, without requiring troublesome manipulation of the work holding frame. Hence, the frame is portably supported by the trolley arrangement described. However, it is desirable that the frame be per-- mitted to move forwardly with maximum freedom but prevented from moving rearwardly during a quilting operation. Accordingly, one of the trolleydevices, in this instance the one at the rear end of the apparatus, is provided with the following brake arrangement:

A bell crank member 49 is pivoted, as indicated at 50, intermediate its ends between the arms 36, 36 on the trolley bracket: One arm of the bell crank 49 is, in this instance, a comparatively short arm 51 which projects upwardly into engagement with peripheral surface portions of the trolley wheel 35. The location of the arm 51' is to one side of a line between the axis of the trolley wheel 35 and'the bell crank pivot 50,

so that the bell crank arm 51 will tend to jam against the, wheel'when the'wheel is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, while having no material effect on the wheel when the latter is rotated in a clockwise direction. The other arm 52 of the bell crank 49is somewhat longer and is provided at its free end with a laterally extending portion 53 having an opening 54 adjacent its outer endj Another bell crank '55 "is pivoted as indicated at 56 on the outside of one of the trolleybracket arms 36.

One arm 5'7 of the bell crank has an opening 58 in its free end and is connected by means of a link '59 with the free end of the lower bell crank arm 52. The openings 54 and 58 which receive the connecting link 59 are large enough to permit the link to slide freely therethrough. A spring plate is interposed between the bell crank 55 and arm 36 to frictionally maintain the bell crank in adjusted position.

For adjusting thebell crank 55 and thereby rendering the brake bell crank 52 operative or inoperative, the following arrangement is provided:

A suitable flexible wire or cord 61 is connected to the free end of the arm 57 of the upper bell crank 55 and this'cord extends through a guiding eye or the like 62, carried by the spacing bar 39, and through a similar eye 63, from whence it extends downwardly and terminates with a suitable eyelet or other arrangement 64. Another wire or cord 65 is connected to the free end of the arm 66 of the bell crank 55 and extends through the eye 62 and thence downwardly into convenient reach of the operator. For convenience, an eyelet or other arrangement 67 is also secured tothe free end of the cord 65.

When the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 6, the brake member 52 is free to act on the wheel 35 to prevent rearward movement of the structure. When the frame has been moved as far forward as the work requires and it is desired to return the frame to starting positicn,the cord 65 is pulled to thereby rock the brake member 52 on its pivot so that the brake arm 51 is out of engagement with the trolley wheel. When it is desired to restore the brake to operative position, the cord 61 is pulled to effect downward movement of the link 59, thereby permitting the brake member 52 to swing back to operative position.

'As indicated in Fig. 3, the fabric members19 and 20 may conveniently be connected to the rod 11 so as to be wound thereon, by permanently tacking or otherwise securing a canvas or other fabric strip 68 to the rod. The edges of the fabric members 19 and 20 may then be stitched to the free edge of the fabric strip 68, as indicated at 69.

After the quilting or other sewing is completed to within a short distance from the edges of the fabric strips on the rods 12 and 13, the rod 12 is released and the top fabric unwound therefrom and the rod then removed. The rear end of the top fabric and the rear end of the bottom fabric are secured by stitching, as indicated at 70, to the free end of a suitable canvas or other strip '71 which is permanently tacked or otherwise secured to the rod 13. The front end member 10 of the frame may be provided with a notch 72, as indicated in Fig. 9, to permit the frame to be conveniently passed beneath the needle and presserfoot of the sewing machine so as to position the frame in operative relation to the sewing machine, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as quilting frames of the type herein described are, in their broad aspects, old, and their mode of operation well known, it is unnecessary to further explain the mode of operation.

Changes may be made in the described construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a frame of the class described, the combination of end members and bars rotatably mounted at their opposite ends in said end members, and means for so mounting said bars comprising parts, each having a shaft portion adapted to be journalled in the end member, a socket portion at its inner end for removably receiving an end portion of one of said bars, means for locking the bar in said socket, and a collar on the outer end portion of said shaft portion for locking the part against displacement from the end member, said bars being thereby readily removable forreplacement with longer or shorter bars to adjust the length of the frame for receiving corresponding lengths of work.

2. In a frame of the class'described, the combination of end members and bars rotatably mounted at their opposite ends in said end members, and means for so mounting said bars comprising parts, each having a shaft portion adapted to be journalled in the end member, and a socket portion at its inner end for removably receiving an end portion of one of said bars, said bars being thereby readily removable for replacement with longer or shorter bars to adjust the length of the frame for receiving corresponding lengths of work, a ratchet element carried by each of said parts, and pawls pivoted on the end members for engaging said ratchet elements to lock the bars against rotation in one direction.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an elevated support, a frame, means carried by said support and connected to said frame intermediate its width for suspending the latter from said support, and means for normally maintaining the frame in a substantially horizontal plane comprising a pair of coil springs extending respectively between points in said suspending means above the frame and points in the frame on opposite sides of said connection between the suspending means and frame.

4.1m apparatus of the class described, the combination of an overhead track, a pair of trolleys in said track, a frame, supporting means extending between said trolleys and points intermediate the width of the respective ends of the frame to thereby portably support said frame, and adjustable means including resilient 9'- elements acting on said frame on opposite sides of said supporting means for normally maintaining said frame in a substantially horizontal plane.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the com- 12 bination of an overhead track, a pair of trolleys in said track, a frame, supporting means.

extending between said trolleys and the respective ends of the frame to thereby portably support said frame, ball and'socket universal joints ted by said trolleys or by the inherent flexibility of the supporting means, and yielding means normally maintaining said frame in a substantially horizontal plane.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an overhead track, a trolley movable along said track, a frame suspended from said trolley, and brake means carried by said trolley normally permitting free movement of the trolley in one direction but locking the same against reverse movement.

'7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an overhead track, a trolley movable along said track, a frame suspended from said trolley, brake means carried by said trolley normally permitting free movement of the trolley in i one direction' but, locking the sameagainst reverse movement, and means re spectively adjacent'the front and rear ends of the frame for facilitating manual engagement and disengagement of said brake means.

8. In apparatus of' the class described, the combination of an overhead track, a trolley 1novable along said track, a. frame suspended from said trolley, brake means carried by said trolley normally permitting free movement of the trolley in one direction but looking the same against reverse movement, said brake means comprising a bell crank pivotaily mounted intermediate its ends so as to position the free end of one of its arms adjacent a portionof the trolley wheel, a second bell crank pivotally mounted intermediate its endsand having one of its arms connected to an arm of "said first-mentioned bell crank, means respectively :connected to the arms of said second bell crank for effecting adjustment of said first-mentioned bell crank into and out of operative relation to said trolley Wheel, and means frictionally maintaining said second bell crank in adjusted position.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an overhead support, means movable along said support, a frame, hangers extending between saidmeans and said frame at each of the ends thereof for suspending the latter, said hangers being normally disposed approximately perpendicularly to the plane of said frame, and ball and socket universal joints at the ends of saidhangersfcr connecting said hanger ends respectivelyto said means and frame, said universal joints facilitating free lateral shifting movement of the, frame and incidental displacement of said hangers from said normal position.

10. In combination'with a frame according to claim 1, means for supporting the frame comprising an overhead track, a pair of trolleys on said track, a bar extending between said trolleys for connecting and maintaining the same in predetermined spaced relation, means whereby said spaced relation is adjustable in accordance with the. length of the bars ,of the frame, supporting means extending between the respective trolleys and frame ends to portably suspend said frame from said trolley, said supporting meansbeing normally disposed substantially perpendicularly to the plane of said frame, anduniversal joints connecting said supporting means and said trolleys and frame for permitting free lateral movement of the frame independently of the movement permitted by the trolleys or the inherent flexibility of the sup porting means notwithstandinginaccurate spacing of the. trolleys relative to the frame length and abnormal disposition of saidsupporting means relative to the, frame.

- 11. In a frame of the. class described, the

tion at its inner end for removably receiving an end portionof a bar, and means for releasably locking the bar ends in said socket portions, said bars being" thereby'readily removable for replacement with longer or shorter'bars to adjust the length of the frame for receiving cor responding lengths of work.

12. In a frame of the class described, the combination of end members and bars rotatably supported at their opposite ends by said end members, and means permanently mounted in said end members for removably receiving and rotatably supporting said bars comprising parts respectively associated with the ends of the bars, and each of said parts having a shaft portion journaled in an end member and a socket portion at its inner end for removably receiving an end portion of'a bar, a collar mounted on the outer end portion of said shaft portion for looking the part against displacement from the end member, and means for releasably locking the bar ends in said socketportions, said bars being thereby readily removable for replacement with longer or shorter bars to adjust the length of the frame-for receiving corresponding lengths of work.. f 1 t 13. In apparatusof the class described, the combination of an elevated support, a frame compriing transversely extending end members and a plurality of longitudinally extending work holding members -mounted in said end members,

ll it'll the frame'from said ;support, the connection 

